alfie wrote:Had a bit of a laugh at SP's typically gloomy summation of the bowling stocks ...
alfie wrote: Broad retired last year and Jimmy for all his astonishing fitness was highly unlikely to spearhead the attack in Australia at 43
I wasn't trying to be gloomy, merely demonstrate that at this exact point in time the "do they make it to Australia" can be levelled at every single player in the English game. Wood is coming off a horror tour averaging 80, is now 35, and has an injury history from hell. Is he another terrible series or another injury away from retirement? Woakes is unpickable away. Robinson needs time to rediscover some form and fitness, and he hasn't as yet at Sussex done that this year.
If the Ashes were tomorrow, would you bet on Robinson or Wood to get through 3-4-5 tests in a row? I would not. And these are the only players who are proven at this level, ignoring Woakes absolutely appalling away record. Everyone else on the list is 1-2-3 bad games away from dropping out of contention.
My original point was forcing Anderson into retirement because he might not make Australia was disrespectful. Right now if I had to trust one bowler in the English game to go out to Australia, it would be Anderson. He averaged over 40 less per wicket than our next best option in India, bowled very well at stages on dead tracks, and is an all-time legend.
I would have bet a hell of a lot more money on an unretired Anderson making Australia if allowed, than anyone else on the list. Age is a number now in sport.... Tom Brady won a superbowl in a physically violent sport at 43. Freak things happen with age nowadays. Maybe Anderson would fall apart at some point..... he wanted to keep going and find out if that happened, I think his quality over the years allowed him to do that. So yes, for me its disrespectful to boot out an all-time legend to replace him with a never did anything, not really making a convincing case to do anything type. If England had 4-5 of the supplied list averaging sub 25 and no injury concerns, its different. But we don't....
You don't send a world class operator to the slaughterhouse just because you might roll a 6....